Unis’tot’en solidarity

In case you somehow hadn’t noticed, heavy shit is afoot. Worldwide, the continued ravenous exploitation of the land proceeds apace, largely unchallenged and almost universally unchecked. The increasing thirst for resources means that our civilisation is turning to more and more desperate measures to supply the goods. One such demand is for energy – without new energy supplies, the whole precarious house of cards is going to come tumbling down faster than you can say Peak.

If you’re not familiar with them, the Unis’tot’en camp in British Columbia is worth taking a few minutes to acquaint yourself with. In the many, long struggles that there have been – and will continue to be – against the march of the Machine, their contribution stands out. The energy companies want to lay pipelines on their land to transport fracked gas and tar sands oil. The Unis’tot’en have vowed that the energy companies will not lay pipelines on their unceded territories – to back up their words, they have set up camp and maintain a strict border control on those lands. Last week, the stakes of their struggle were raised when they evicted surveyors from the land and confiscated their equipment. Now, they have called out for expressions of solidarity and any assistance that the wider community can offer. This Tuesday, 27th November, is a day they are asking for a wide show of action in support.

The stance of the Unis’tot’en camp is uncompromising and I, far away and with little to offer, can only add my voice to the chorus of support. This is their land and they are devoted to protecting it. They know the forces that are arrayed against them, but they also have many examples of what happens to land that energy companies defile. I believe the Unis’tot’en camp to be the shape of things to come. If we do not defend what we love against the monster we have created, what is to stop it devouring the Earth entirely?